Brother Paul; A Short Story By Onihaxy PART 8

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Paul got to lagos, he stayed with his friends who were working with big firms and were living together. One of his friends earns 120k while the other earns 135k respectively. Paul thought he could get job as soon as possible, but he doesn't go beyond aptitude test level ever since he had been applying for job in lagos. 6 months went by and paul hadn't gotten any job. His two friends tried to fix him in their different workplaces but it still doesn't work out. Paul continued praying and hoping on God for a job but each time he prayed, he always heard a silent voice saying "wait!!!!, the appointed time is near". He was convinced in his heart that soonest, he would get a job.
18months went by, paul was still in lagos without getting any job. He decided to increased the duration of his fasts and prayers. He even went to the mountain to pray but he was still given the same word of "wait!!!!, the appointed time is near. Paul's friends were getting fed up of feeding him with their salary for over a year. One of them suggested that they should take paul to the baba that always assist them whenever they have spiritual problems or any problem, paul was angry on hearing this "whaaaaaat, a whole me? Servant of the most high God?, follow you guys to an herbalist?, Never!!!!" Paul yelled at them and walk away into his room.
The friends were beginning to be tired of paul. One of them vowed never to drop a single kobo for paul again since he isn't ready to help himself. The other friend went inside the room to meet paul and talk to him.
"Paul, you see, this man gave us divine favour soap that we used to bath and it helped us in getting jobs in time. We aren't telling you to do rituals, neither are we telling you to offer or carry any sacrifice, we understand how religious crazy you are. But God doesn't go against assitance, don't you hear the general saying of *heaven help those who help themselves?*, see let me tell you, we also attend churches and at the same time, we meet prophets to assist us in reaching to God faster, and that is why we wanted you to follow us to meet this man. He is going to help you ..........bla....bla....bla." The other friend continued convincing paul but at the end of everything, paul rejected the idea.
The following week, the other friend who vowed not to drop a kobo fulfilled his vow, he would spend a lot outside, branched at eateries to eat and only comes home to sleep. The other friend began to complain of been the only one to provide for the house. Paul was getting hurt inside of him as his previous good friends are suddenly turning against him.
Weeks later, the other friend also stopped providing for the home and paul was left alone to survive on his own. He decided to walk across the street one day and he saw vacancy for a sales boy at a provision shop. He decided to apply for it just to have a means of income. The shop owner told paul that she would be paying 5,000naira and he agreed without hesitating. On getting home, he told his friends that he had gotten a small job, they asked about it and he told them everything. They both laughed and mocked him. "So you prefer 5k compared to the 135k and 120k we both earn respectively?" One of his friends said while mocking him. "Won't you rather follow us to somewhere where you would be assisted and get favour"?. The other said. Paul felt sad and walked away.
Paul started his sales boy job and still continued hoping on God for a turnaround. He was tired of praying alone and he decided to visit the pastor of the church he attends in lagos for prayers. The pastor said the same thing to him that his appointed time is near. If only he could be patient on God. After 6months of working as a sales boy, he had faced enough insults and humiliation from his employer. At home also, his friends weren't contributing. They both eat outside and only comes home to sleep. And paul isn't ready to leave lagos and return to his parents. He just had this belief that he would get a nice job in lagos.
After 3years and 8months of staying in lagos, paul sat down and began to think. He envied the luxurious lifestyle his friends were living. He wish he could have a 6 digit salary job and ride cars like his friends, but he isn't ready to meet any baba for help. "Me?, baba?, never!!!, I will never compromise my God" paul said in his heart.
At shop in the following week, paul's employer had went out and mini thieves came to steal items worth 60,000 in the shop while they were buying things. Paul was unaware until his employer returned and find out that goods were missing. He was seriously cursed and insulted by his employer who doesn't believed that the shop was robbed. She believed paul sold the goods and kept the money. Paul was slapped , arrested and sacked from the shop. He went back home after been released from the police station and began to cry about his frustrated life. His friends persuaded him again to give baba a trial and look out for tremendous change in his life. This time, paul agreed after many considerations
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